Finding Mr Northman
by Gottabottleof0
Summary: Sookie heads to Fangtasia after a request and lands herself into a 'pressing' situation with Mr Northman. Set post season 6. Contains mild spoilers. Rated M for possible further chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**I've been thinking about writing for a while, so this is my first ever attempt at fanfiction. I wouldn't have done this otherwise so thanks go to Millyvincent!**

**I would also like to say that I tire of the love/hate preferences of Eric/Bill. I don't love one and hate the other. I like them both but for different reasons, my pairing tags reflect the first chapter and maybe be subject to change/be added to.**

**This is a 'what if' set after season 6's ending, if Sookie's relationship with Alcide never happened.**

******Please note that this is set within the True Blood universe and not the Sookie Stackhouse_ novel_ universe! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of True Blood or the Sookie Stackhouse novels, and am graciously borrowing them to appease my need for more of the characters & antics!**

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My breathing came to a halt in my throat, my mind ticking with bewilderment. The sight before me caused me to tremor as my brain processed what I was seeing. Any hatred, fear or loathing I had once ever felt was eradicated in that instance.

The charred mass of flesh was cradled in a coffin, the lid open. I fell to my knees as I looked upon the face of its inhabitant.

"Oh Eric," I managed to utter, my words barely even a whisper. I clutched the side of the coffin with my right hand and hovered my hand over the scarcely visible face of Eric Northman.

"Miss Stackhouse" The burnt lips slowly formed Eric's preferred usage of my name, ever the formalities regardless of his frail state.

"What happened to you?" I spoke softly, on the verge of tears. I had remained on unsteady grounds with Eric since our previous encounters while he was under a witch's spell. Since that space of time, there had been awkward and tense glances, silent reminiscences from both our parts. We had never spoken about it. Something would always get in the way.

"Sun," he groaned, his burnt mouth lingering open. "Blood…wore off," He continued.

"Eric, -" I began, but I was rudely cut off.

"Oh good, it's you." Pam said irritably.

"Pam what the hell happened to Eric?! Why didn't you call me sooner?" I said, ignoring her tone of voice. Pam sighed and placed a hand on her hip, and raising her eyebrows she stalked toward me in her pink heels. She looked more threatening than anyone else I'd ever seen in a tracksuit, however.

"Of course Sookie I do apologise," said Pam, shaking her head slightly and rolling her eyes sarcastically. "I'm not in the mood for any human shit today, he hasn't even started healin' yet so I'm a little bit pre fucking occupied!" Pam bellowed so the walls of Fangtasia's dank basement rolled the words out to ring in my delicate, human ears.

"Pam I can heal him. So you decide whether you wanna deal with me and my human shit to use your words. Or, I can go back home…" I wasn't seriously considering leaving Eric in this state. But I had a capacity of how much frustrated screaming Pam I could deal with, and my quota was filling up. I came to Fangtasia because Eric's newest Willa had come to find me and told me she sensed her maker in trouble. Obviously Pam hadn't been very forthcoming with the information to her own sister. Was that right? Yes.

"Sookie wait. I'm sorry, alright. Really. I'm so freaking pissed he left," She drew a hand to her eyes before a blood tear rolled down her flawless cheeks. Her long eyelashes shielded her cold gaze from me momentarily but it was soon back. "And I didn't wanna admit he needed you more than me to heal him." She admitted finally, turning away from me. Her blonde hair flowed down her back over her jacket, and I noticed she had bloodstains on the cuffs, as if blood had recently been spilled in that region. I reached a hand forward to touch her shoulder and thought better of it. The only time when Pam was ever okay with me was when Eric was safe, had just been saved, or when she was high off of Bill's blood. And right now neither of those things were applicable. I knew there was only one thing to do to help Pam.

I took a deep breath and ran my right hand along the forearm of my left clutching the skin there tight. Exhaling, I mentally prepared myself. Giving blood was not something I was comfortable with, especially when I had to initiate the flow myself as it reminded me way too much of the time I had spent searching Alcide's van for something to cut myself with to bring Bill back to life. And that ended badly.

But this is what I had to do. Eric wasn't unconscious. But my guess was that he was merely hanging onto threads of consciousness as it was. I knelt by the coffin and ever so lightly brushed Eric's jawline with my thumb. Even though he was dead I heard Eric suck in a breath sharply as he smelt how close my skin was to his mouth. Pam watched cautiously.

"You know for him, there's more than two kinds of sun he can burnt by," Pam murmured, her eyes red fresh from releasing a single crimson bead of sadness. Of course.

"If I could take it all back,…well I don't think I would. You seem to hate me when I'm with him and when I'm not. Make up your mind." I told her firmly. She eyes widened with predatory instincts, she was always going to protect her maker and see to it that his best interests where being assessed.

"I have seen him take the most beautiful queens and princesses and drain them to death, only pausing to fuck in their remains. Never caring, never once asking permission to take what he wants. Then there's you." She said icily, her arms were crossed firmly across her chest. Her cheek still marred with a red streak. I couldn't speak. What defence did I have? I had no idea what it was that drew Eric to me. Perhaps the blood, that seemed to be just about everyone else's idea too. But this was the blood that would save the man I could have loved fully if I hadn't had conflictions with another at the time. As it was, I was happy staying single.

I brought my arm to my mouth and bit down swiftly. My blunt teeth were no good on my skin, and sensing my frustration Pam stepped over to me and took my wrist, raising it to her pink lips. She smelled the skin and her eyes visibly rolled back into her head. Shuddering, she lowered my arm.

"Sookie," She said wickedly. My heartbeat stepped up a few notches. Her eyelashes flickered up to allow her gaze into my eyes, and if it were any other human that wasn't so used to having vampire blood in their system all the damn time, they would have missed the pupils in Pam's eyes dilate. Holding my wrist at arm's length, she dropped her fangs and edged her lips back and looked at my terrified expression with an evil grin. "That's not good enough," she announced darkly, and in a flash she yanked the wrist she was holding so my bodily crashed into her cool firm one, her fangs piercing into my neck. She thrust my body over the coffin and slammed the lid down.

"Enjoy her, my master." Pam word's were muffled as I heard the sound of heels trotting up the stairs.

My heart beat for the three of us when a cool tongue found my wounds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for your reviews!**

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I felt incredibly drowsy when my eyes finally opened. Everything was hazy in front of me, and I had a killer headache. Clutching my head I tried to sit forward, in doing so a sheet fell off my chest. It was sure damn cold. _I'm not wearing anything but my panties! _Horrified I tried to find reasons behind my state of undress.

I vaguely remembered Pam pushing me into the near deathly state of Eric Northman, ex-lover and owner of the establishment I'd freely walked into, blissfully unaware I would be gorged upon to unconsciousness. My mind tried to piece the events together after I'd been pushed in.

"_**That's not good enough," Pam announced darkly, and in a flash she yanked the wrist she was holding so my bodily crashed into her cool firm one, her fangs piercing into my neck. She thrust my body over the coffin and slammed the lid down.**_

"_**Enjoy her, my master." Pam word's were muffled as I heard the sound of heels trotting up the stairs.**_

_**My heart beat for the three of us when a cool tongue found my wounds. As my back was flat to his stomach, I felt something start to build underneath my lower back. **_**Oh god no. **_**I screamed out as the surroundings started to make me feel incredibly confined. His hands snaked to my wrists, holding them firmly in his icy hands. His mouth was drawing deeply on my neck now, but surprisingly it wasn't hurting me. I was more afraid that he'd continue until I died.**_

"_**Eric get off! At least let me get out of this coffin! I want to help you but please let go off my neck!" I screamed, trying to kick the lid of the coffin open. I could hear him groaning into my neck, but there was no slurping. He was not a messy eater. At least I'd go quick. **_

"_**Eric…I, ah,.." My feet began to still, and my hands stopped fighting his imprisonment of my hands in his large fists. My head lolled and my I felt my eyes starting to close…**_

I shuddered at the memory and gathered the sheet around my body as tight as I could get it so it hid the flesh above my cleavage, leaving only my tanned shoulders on show. I blinked and was horrified when I heard a 'Mmmn' noise from across the room. Oh my god. _Fucking vampires!_ I could see clearer now, the haze having lifted to reveal Eric Northman, in all his 6ft 5'' glory knelt over me, pinning me to the bed. The cool air made me shiver. I yanked the sheet as far up my body as I could.

"Oh no, no, no, Miss Stackhouse," He cooed sensually. He wagged a finger at me, "Let's not be modest." He had a terribly attractive grin, I'd give him that. As embarrassed as I felt that he had seen me topless, I hated to admit it sent something in me soaring. I couldn't say whether it was more due to fear or ashamedly, lust.

"And how easily you give yourself away, too." Eric gestured toward the much-too-tight sheet, he said cocking his head to one side, revealing a childish yet fang-filled grin. I realised just how much of my nakedness was apparent when I looked down to find my chest plastered in white fabric like a second skin. I looked like I was smuggling peanuts. Mortified, I loosened my grasp.

"Get off me! What the hell do you-" I was cut off by Eric's finger pressed to my lips.

"Have you forgotten whose bed you're in?" Eric said smoothly, coming to sit beside me. Unfortunately his weight and the spot he chosen to sit in caused the sheet to become taught and it pulled downward, exposing more skin than I'd have liked. Finding the leftover piece of sheer fabric not enough to cover myself, I wrapped my arms around my chest.

"Eric! Get off or get out! Where the hell are my clothes and just what happened earlier?!"I demanded, summoning my best angry face. I had remembered what happened, but I needed an explanation from him fast.

I hadn't even noticed whose bed I was in.

"Oh, lover. This is mine. All…mine." He spoke absent mindedly, only adding to the sexual tone his voice was taking. My breathing increased tenfold. He edged closer to my face, placing his icy hands on either side of my flushed face, bringing me back to my senses. I felt a little weak and I didn't know how much of a fight I would be able to put up if he tried anything. A tiny part of me wasn't sure if it would mind if he did. I was single…_Sookie Stackhouse stop right there. _I thought. I needed to take control of the situation.

"The bed or me?" I asked defiantly. I tried prying my face away from his grasp but my human strength was nothing against his vice like vampire hold. I was adamant to get this man away from my semi naked form. He laughed.

"Both." His teeth bared like that in such a demonic and dark way made me want to drop to sheet and say to hell with it. But I knew better than that. I had to remain calm, cool and collected. That was proving difficult with the weakness I felt from having given (albeit unwillingly) Eric my blood.

"Enough with your filthy talk mister. Where the hell are my clothes?" I edged away from his hands. He dropped them, moving down to prop himself up on his elbows. His eyes look dreary, like he'd had too much to drink. _Oh, the irony._ Then I thought; _Was he drunk? _I felt light headed, dizzy and had a headache. Had I perhaps passed out due to exhaustion? _Had he given me any blood in return? _I thought to myself. He smiled and chuckled in only the way I knew goofy Eric would, the Eric I had kept under my floorboards in a little cubby after the witch's spell. Drunken, high Eric was not something I could handle easily by myself.

"Oh, they had to come off…They were so bloody after I drank you, and I couldn't have you going to bed with me all dirty, at least, not in that sense…" His voice turned the last few letters into a whisper, trailing off in an erotic manner just barely sounding it out. My stomach fluttered at his mention of being in bed with him and growing more concerned about my lack of control shook myself mentally. I was not going to be drawn in by this man!

"So you just stripped me down and placed me in your bed?! With you in it?" I pouted, quite angry now. What I needed was for this gorgeous Viking to stop making me feel so hot so I could make a point without feeling like a child having a tantrum. A stronger woman than I was could have just strolled out of bed with a sense of pride still intact, or better yet, punched him.

"Well you were moaning, my sweet, sweet Sookie. What's a vampire to do? Apart from lay you down in my bed?" He uttered mischievously.

"You were drinking my goddamn blood, Eric! Pam ripped my neck open and threw me in there with you! I've got no clue what happened after that but I _assure _you I don't enjoy being snacked on in the dark and left in strange beds!" I raged. I drew my knees up to my chest so I at least had a fighting chance of hitting him without him seeing me topless again.

"Nothing should ever feel strange in a bed with me, lover. You've had the blood of others after mine, you've forgotten what it is to be loved by me, physically…" He trailed off, glaring at me like a sexual predator. He started circling my leg through the sheet. I tried ignoring it. "But I know you still hold feelings for me dear one," He finished, flashing me more of his fangs.

"Oh really, and I guess you know this because I'm _willingly_ sitting here, after _willingly _giving you my blood. And I suppose you think I'm just going to give and what, have sex with you?" I chuckled.

"Oh, Sookie. You may sass me but I will have you again,"

"I don't think so you big crazy Viking."

"I think you underestimate your feelings, Sookie."

"Then I think you have seriously mistaken me for someone else, if you think I'm going to come crawling to you after you attacked me!"

"Sookie, I did not-" he started, looking a little displeased even. I cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, buddy. I still didn't come here just to get accosted by you, or Pam."

I thought that perhaps my mentioning of Pam would make him snap out of it. He would most definitely not be pleased with Pam when he found her. He must have had a large quantity of my blood to make him get this distracted and intoxicated.

"Oh Sookie, lover. You're so tasty. Every last bit of you…" He said playfully. I chose to ignore that retort. "And here I was thinking you could only be so silly to wave your blood in _Bill's _face…" He chuckled to himself. That, I could not ignore. I waited with bated breath for the next sentence. "Billy boy won't be happy with you coming over here and enticing crispy ol' me. Well at least I didn't have to hold you down to get it…" Eric continued on. In a flash he leant in to kiss me, but I pushed him away.

"HOW _DARE _YOU ERIC NORTHMAN!" I screamed at his no longer crispy face. _He did not just go there!_ As conflicted my emotions had been at the time, I could distance myself away from the pain and hurt of it all now. Bill'd sensed blood and his nature took him over to withdraw what his body needed. I had forgiven him. But I definitely did not want to go into that. I had been damn well pushed on top of Eric and he had chosen to take that opportunity to feast on me! As much as these two occurrences were very similar in nature, this one had not begun a willing exchange.

"I loved Bill. That's why I tried to SAVE him Eric, just like I did you. Too fuckin' bad the pair of you can't be trusted and I end up unconscious or nearly dead, so yeah maybe I _am_ stupid. But you don't look half as much like shit as you did before I got here!" I roared, finally finding my voice. I reached up to hit him but he caught my hand. I was really feeling quite faint now, I couldn't struggle against him.

"You know,…this is your blood making me talk like this, Sookie."

Oh my god.

"So you _are _high."

"You'd know, you've experienced it with me, my lover." Eric said, shrugging. I was about to demand him to stop calling me his 'lover' when he continued. "I seem to recall us so far entwined with each other for days I could not make out where you ended and I began… " The last time he was high off of my blood, I had already fallen for him. We'd had wonderful, passionate, earth shattering sex like nothing else mattered. But I wasn't likely to make that same mistake a second time (third time, no wait, _fourth, _ if we're counting how many times I've fallen for a vampire who wasn't who they said/acted like their true self. Let's not forget _Bill_ was also on that list. And Warlow, but I was desperately trying to bury that one like I had with my uncle Bartlett. ) I had to stop getting involved in vampire shit!

I'd had enough of this. I whipped the sheet from under him and hastily wrapped it around myself not caring if he saw any more Sookie Stackhouse than originally planned.

"Sober up. Then talk to me Eric. And expect you to apologise." I reached the door and took one final look back. Eric was sprawled out on the bed, collapsed. I stormed out of the room not knowing where I was going, I had no idea where I was. This must be Eric's house, I thought to myself. Yes. Everything was a mixture of contemporary and old, and there was Viking memorabilia everywhere. Lipstick tubes among other cosmetics were dotted around the surfaces of the next room, which I assumed must be the bathroom. I tried to compose myself. _You are a strong woman who needs no man, vampire, shifter, or werewolf, to look after you. You are above all of them, Sookie Stackhouse. _I held my chin up and shook out my half flattened curled hair. I looked a little pale actually. I guessed that Eric had not given me any of his blood otherwise I might not have felt so much like crap. I then wondered how I'd even got here. I decided on a shade of red to bring out my colour more and looked back at the mirror at my reflection. _That's much better. But maybe lose the sheet._

Wandering out of the bathroom I sighed in exasperation. I couldn't make out what rooms I was even entering. How was I going to find clothes? If these were all Pam's lipsticks then surely her clothes would be in Eric's house too. This was infuriating! I'd healed Eric of his wounded state only to be sassed and embarrassed and to tell the truth I was feeling a little short changed. As for Pam though, we would not be speaking for a long, long time. And if Bill was ever reinstated as King (God only knows who'd let him,) I'd have him show her the pointy end of a stake. _But I didn't need Bill to solve my problems, or anyone else,_ I chastised myself.

Drifting through the house, I returned to the room I was originally in with Eric still slumped on the bed. I sighed. I prodded Eric but there came no response from the dead body. What I needed was a phone.

"You could've at least told me where the phone was before you decided to play dead," I said annoyed to Eric's unconscious form. He had on the shirt he had when I'd first found him charred and weak in the basement of Fangtasia.

_Fangtasia!_

I'd only left my purse in my car, which was at the bar. Everything I needed to potentially escape this state of affairs was inside my purse; my phone, money, and keys. I had to start strapping these things to my person whenever I entered, well, anywhere.

Even in this room, I found no openings or wardrobes of any sort. I felt Eric up and down carefully enough as to not disturb him. This was the absolute last thing I'd want him to wake up to find me doing. I found a shiny silver smartphone in his pocket, top of the range. I pressed the button hoping he'd had no password set. Well apparently Eric wasn't so smart after all. I scrolled through the contacts all the way through, passing through 'Pamela,' blowing out a deep sigh. _This is all your damn fault Pam. _I thought. She hadn't even told me how Eric had become so badly burnt in the first place! What was important though was that I got home. I scrolled back up, disappointed I hadn't found anyone I knew that I would be happy ringing. I couldn't call Sam, even though I had memorized both his home and the bar's number. He'd be with Nicole anyway and I would hate to disturb their peace considering I had barely spoken a word to her. And now she was carrying his child, he could use the peace being my friend had bypassed him. I couldn't call Tara as her cell number wasn't in the phone. I couldn't really call Alcide, he was still involved in pack dealings as far as I knew. I knew he'd be willing to come to my aid but his number wasn't even in Eric's phone either now the debt between him and Alcide's father had been repaid. I could call Jason, but I squirmed at the thought of my brother seeing me in this state. He'd probably burn down Eric's house, anyway.

Well it seemed there was only one person I could ring, and that was not going to be Pam.

I really didn't want to do this.

I gingerly pressed 'Call' on my intended rescuer's name. I held the phone to my ear in apprehension.

"What is it Northman," A deep voice sounded out, the heavy southern drawl tickling my insides.

"Actually, it's Sookie…" I dared say, bracing myself for the reaction I'd receive.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this one's short.**

**Next will hopefully be a lot more interesting than this one!**

**Thanks for your continuing reviews!**

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I shivered and thrashed around. It was chilly in here.

My eyelids opened heavily and I clutched a hand to my ever throbbing head. The smooth texture under me caressed my legs, and arms, holding me softly in this dark capsule. Alarmed, I recalled the last thing I remembered. I was calling someone? Or I was where I was now?

I sat up abruptly, my head coming into contact with something quite hard.

"Damnit!" I shouted to nobody, and rubbed my head. Suddenly I realised what was going on. I_ was_ here earlier. I dreaded the potential occurrences of the next few moments. I was angry with Pam, both for not calling me sooner about Eric, and also for damn near having me killed. But I'd had some small faith that Eric could contain himself while helping himself to my blood. He was old, for a vampire, and probably had patience disciplined into him by Godric, god rest his soul. I wasn't angry at Eric. But I wasn't sure what I felt.

All I cared about was to get out of this claustrophobic space.

I patted the area beside me (didn't want to fry any vampires,) before sparking a tiny light orb from between my fingers. Rolling it around in my hand, I started fumbling around with the lid opening. I knew there was a catch somewhere, otherwise anyone could go opening them and letting light flood in. I was intensely grateful for once that I was a fraction fae (however much I've previously wished it away) when I found the latch with my light and opened the top. The eerie basement of Fangtasia greeted me with it's usual smell of stagnant water pipes and dust.

I had no idea what I was dreaming about. I had no idea in fact which parts were real and which parts really had happened. My fingers found my neck, and on one side it felt extremely tender. I vaguely felt the swell of two bite marks. _So that really had happened._

As I swung my legs out and jumped down, I looked around. No vampires in sight. I stumbled about in my groggy state, regretting the leap down already. I composed myself for a moment, leaning on the banister that lead up to the bar.

I inspected my clothes, shorts and t-shirt still intact, yet a little bloody.

So my dream had not been quite accurate, Eric could be a messy eater after all. It could have been where Pam ripped into my neck and threw me over him though. Those events replaying in my head made me shudder. Nobody would ever enjoy having their blood forcibly taken. But it had happened to me too many times for it to _not_ have been a frightening experience. And what was the rest of it? I couldn't really remember much of the dream except the bit where I was wearing some sort of dress made from a sheet. I giggled involuntarily. _What was wrong with me? I nearly get eaten by vampires and I'm laughing about it. Great, I really am crazy._

I was confused, tired, aching, and feeling quite forgetful.

There were several conversations and too many hot baths I needed to have before I even wanted to look at any vampire tonight, (this morning?) and I was damned if I was having those conversations now.

Still leaning against the banister, I felt the urge to vomit. Ugh, I felt absolutely exhausted. It came to no surprise that I was feeling a little delirious. I managed to heave myself up the steps and stumble into the bar, wincing at the light from inside the place. I knew that the ban on vampire businesses was still in place, so it was a little hard to tell what sort of time it was. It was empty, free from humans and vampires alike. It must be morning hours by now surely. I imagined at least Tara or Willa to be here if it was in fact still dark. As much as I would've loved to have been comforted by my best friend, things between us were still amiss since Lafayette and I had Pam turn her. I continued through the bar and just before I pulled the door to leave, I heard something drop to the floor. I couldn't see anything, plus it wasn't my problem. This wasn't my bar.

It was light outside, I imagined it to be about 8am or so. I could never have been happier to slip into my little yellow banger of a car and fumble for my keys in my purse.

_What happened again last night? _

_I went to Fangtasia, got assaulted by Pam, fell unconscious at some point with a vampire attached to my neck._

I felt a tingle of excitement from the memory of being pressed up against Eric with him holding my wrists. At the time I remember feeling the same thing, yet that feeling was marred by an air of utter terror.

I planned on going home, taking a seriously long bath, and calling Eric later once I'd found the words to express whatever I would decide I felt about the situation. I sure as hell didn't know what I would say if I were to leave the message now.

I drove home glad that there was no traffic to distract me from planning the phone call I was going to have later.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the delay in updating this, I've started back at university now and things will only start to get a lot more hectic. But I will be trying to update as soon as is possible!**

**So this chapter is all Eric's POV, bearing in mind he's just been burnt to a crisp, avoided death, trying to cope with Nora's death, trying to manage looking after a baby vampire, and also attempting to bridge the gap wedged between him and Pam.**

**Enjoy!**

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I sat on the throne in Fangtasia and glanced around. A bar stool stuck out of the wall above the bar. There were tables and chairs scattered across the club floor, some of the furniture's legs had been snapped off and launched into wall like darts. There were several dents in the door that led to the basement, and also the office door. There was glass that had been shattered into pieces, including bottles from behind the counter. I couldn't have given a care in the world about the bar, what I cared for was Sookie Stackhouse.

After signing back ownership of her house to her, I had put everything aside with Sookie so that she may try to live a perfectly normal life. As much as was possible for all I and that pitiful excuse of a vampire Compton, had put her through.

Not to mention other events of late. Losing Nora had struck me with the final blow, and when I thought I could come no lower, I had nearly lost Sookie too.

I remembered the words I had once spoken, 'The only person a vampire can trust is the vampire he made.' This was something I would seriously need to deliberate.

Pam stood in the middle of the bar, red tears rolling down her cheeks. I had vented my anger by obliterating Fangtasia, while Pam stood central, waiting to be reprimanded.

"Say something, please," Pam sniffed. Her tracksuit was getting dripped on by the blood streaming off of her face.

"There is nothing to say, Pamela." I held my hand over my face, sliding it to my mouth to prop my chin up on the arm of the chair. I left a truthful silence between us. There really was nothing I could say.

"Tell me you never wanna see me again, or some shit! Don't ignore me Eric, please," Pam pleaded, but I couldn't find the words to say. My vampire instincts wanted to congratulate Pam for her cunning in getting Sookie here, for luring her in to feed her maker. Like a cat bringing in a dead bird for its owner, I couldn't help but be disgusted by her actions. I wanted to tell her get out of my sight, to tell her to leave this bar and never come back. She had endangered Sookie's life, and this was not something I could, or would ever condone. When it came to the Stackhouse girl, I _cared._

In the beginning it had been a game. Acquiring Sookie from Bill had been my goal, the desired effect was simply his dissatisfaction and frustration. I simply wanted to do what I did naturally, eat, fuck and kill.

Somehow, even after my thousand years of being a ruthless killer, I had met nobody like her. She displayed certain characteristics which beguiled me. She was so different from the other worthless bloodbags that threw themselves at vampires, trying every pathetic trick in the book in attempt to get noticed. But Sookie did not want me. And for that simple reason, I wanted her.

Pam stood with her arms folded across her chest apparently still holding her cool. As I stared at Pam, I remembered the night she was made, I remembered the exact moment I decided that I would make her my own. She had been ready to die, but on her terms. She would either have died by her own hand, or by her own want to have been made vampire. I remembered the fire in her eyes as she asked to walk the world with me, blood streaming down her arms. In a flash I'd made my decision, Pamela Swynford de Beaufort had become my progeny by the next night.

Pam's determinacy, combined with the knowledge she'd get her wish either way reminded me of my sister. Pam's turning had not been too dissimilar to when I had found Nora and brought her to father. It was the thought of my sister that urged me to turn Pam. Nora's job was with the Authority, and we hardly held contact due to her responsibilities. It was safer that Pamela knew nothing of Nora, the less dealings she had with the authority the better.

Father had turned Nora because he saw in her what he saw in me when I lay dying on the funeral pyre. 'A companion of death,' he had called it. I asked what was in it for me, to which he had told me, 'life.'

I promised the same to Nora. And given the same to Pam. And now, Willa too.

All I had left from a thousand years of this existence were my two children. My father and sister were gone.

"Fine," Pam drawled reacting to my prolonged silence. She stamped a heeled foot, sending her flawless hair bouncing behind her back. If there was one thing I admired in the women I'd chosen to bed, it was tenacity. I despised feeble creatures that could not hold their own. Pamela was definitely not one of those women. And neither was Sookie, which is what drew me to her when Bill brought her to Fangtasia that first night.

I remained still.

"I'll go, if that's what you want. But I was only trying to save you Eric, I wasn't about to sit by and watch you die after I just got you back. And fucking Sookie," Pam paused a while to dab her eyes with her hands. That was another thing I admired about my child, she hated for me to see her give into weakness, she understood me and what I would stand for, and also what I would not. This respect I gave back to her in kind, I only ordered her to do things I knew she would comply with, and would never ask of her anything that would put her in danger or upset her. Even now, as I'd only released her a short while ago, I asked nothing of her that I would not myself. She obeyed my commands even though she was not bound to, my progeny was loyal to me and I loved her deeply for it. If having a sister taught me anything, it was how to look after a female.

I arose, and braced myself for a verbal train of assault on Sookie. I also braced myself to pin her down on the bar and drill the message that I would never have the girl hurt over me.

Pam continued on, "Fucking Sookie! She would have wanted to help you, Eric. But when she got here I just couldn't let her sit there and coo over you like the pathetic little human she is. A human Eric! I don't give a rat's ass how much faerie she has in her blood, I was angry. I gave you my blood and it did nothing, _nothing,_" Pam shook with anger, and what I detected as sadness. She held herself still as I approached closer until we were one step apart. Her icy blue eyes bore into mine, rimmed with blood. I hated to see her upset.

Conflicting emotions burned inside me like wildfire. I hated her for hurting Sookie. But I couldn't stand to watch her scared of me. I smelt the fear of my wrath coming off her. I knew it in her blood, because her blood was my blood.

"Pam," I held her name in my mouth tenderly.

"Don't you Pam me, I am not leavin' until I've said this; you've always cared about you, Eric. It's always been you before anyone and everything. Except maybe family. But I've seen you spit out the bones of the most beautiful women and laugh about it. And this little, ugh. Eric she's just a waitress from a backwater state with no power and no money! She _owed_ you."

Pam's comment led me to the belief that she'd do it again in a heartbeat. But I had not needed her blazé confirmation about it.

"She owed me, _NOTHING!"_ I seethed, stepping even closer to her seizing her shoulders. Her eyes widened. She let out a small noise. If anything, I had owed Sookie. She staked Bill not knowing he'd survive it, to save me.

"Go on then, throw me out." Pam dared, inches from my face, her spine bent backwards away from me slightly. Her posture was still though. I could smell the braveness and boldness of her words. I was shaking with rage and strangely, pride. Banishing Pam would not help the situation but would relieve the tension. But I could assert my authority. I knew it wouldn't hurt her physically. I trembled more and more until the temptation overtook me and I pushed her down with vampire speed onto the table that had been left unscathed. With one hand I held her neck down the wooden tabletop, her body arching at a ninety degree angle. Both our fangs ran down simultaneously at the onset of conflict.

"Do not. Tempt me. Pamela," I breathed into her ear. Sometimes the thrill of a fight would stir me to breathe unnecessarily. She both said and did nothing but let me keep her bent down, reminding her who was in charge. The thought of launching Pam across the bar and fighting with her until she learnt to submit to me crossed my mind. As I was tangled up in her actions - assaulting Sookie and forcing her onto me like that, as much as I enjoyed having Sookie Stackhouse pressed to me in any which way, caused more conflict with my already tangled emotions in the matter.

I _could_ trust Pam, she always put me first in every way, over her safety and over anyone else's. However putting me above the needs of everyone and anything else's did not include considering how I would feel about the situation. How I would know Sookie would feel after having her blood. How after, I would realize how much I couldn't control my thirst for her, which made me worse than Pam. This made my rage burn inside me something fierce.

Sookie had suffered enough, and tonight she'd been made to relive her previous terrors because of me. As soon as I had begun to feel affection for Sookie I had made a promise to myself; I would never let things get out of hand with Sookie. Well, they had.

I wrenched my progeny's slender neck off the table so we were face to face. She gripped my wrist with her nails. She hissed. We had settled arguments like this in the brief spell before our sexual relationship had waned. Vampires cannot tolerate one another in this way for too long, the need for control takes over and renders it impossible for both parties to remain alive. As a maker and child relationship, the rule can differ dependant on the nature of the vampire. Both Pam and I had come to an understanding once the initial sexual attraction wore off.

We retained mutual respect, she never backchatted unless it was a simple sarcastic one-liner. That was so typically Pam. She never dared whine, or demand. This was the reason for my leniency in all her actions. But her clashing ideas with mine over my wellbeing were too much for me to handle.

I raced the both of us to one side of the scattered remnants of the bar, bringing her body to slam up against the door to the basement. She was sandwiched between me and the door leading to the fragile human she was so hell bent on destroying the life of. This only added to my fury. To feel Sookie so close to me, yet pushed so far away by Pam's actions. She stared me down ferociously. I growled back. She could be such a feisty one, and that admittedly was why I loved her the most.

"What's it gonna be Eric, you just gonna trash more of the place or grow a pair and throw me out?" She screamed as I clamped down on her neck further. Her voice had wavered again.

"YOU NEARLY HAD ME KILL HER, PAM! HOW, HOW COULD YOU LET THAT HAPPEN?!" I boomed.

Pam didn't flinch, but she definitely didn't expect me to shout.

"S-She's fine. You wouldn't have left her down there otherwise…" Pam offered up, her stare turned into a flickering hold. She had not spoken those words with confidence in her voice.

I could only continue to let her eyes try and avoid mine for a moment longer, before I did throw her out.

"Look at me."

"I can't." Her eyelids closed over her blood filled eyes. But her nails still dug into my skin and drew blood. She was fighting to stay standing up.

"And why is that, I wonder?" I asked her, cocking my head to one side. She would face me for her crimes.

She flashed her eyes up at me, and trembling, she spoke.

"What do you want to hear Eric? That I'm sorry? That I should go down there and apologize for wanting to keep you alive?" she said quietly, this time holding my direct eyeline. I briefly pondered her words.

She gained more hold of herself then went on, "You would have done anything for Godric. He didn't give you the chance. Well I saw mine, and I took it. And I knew you'd be angry,…I did. But I was damned if I was going to let you rot in that coffin! So be my fuckin' judge and jury already." Pam's fangs had retracted fully, and she had released her grip on me completely letting herself go limp. She tilted her head away from me and down. It was the mention of Godric that brought me back to the current situation. Pam would never speak of Godric unless it was high praise. This was the one thing she took seriously.

The office door opening had caught my attention before I could raise her with one hand up the door. My fingers flexing around Pam's throat, I glanced to see my youngest child.

"Is…everything alright?" Willa's brown hair sat framing her face, her brown eyes fluttering up at me from across the room. I loosened my grasp on Pam in surprise. _Why had I never noticed how alike Willa and Nora were in appearance?_ I hadn't even considered it. The only time I had the two of them with me was when I rescued Nora to take her to Bill Compton's house. I had been distracted. Willa had been the perfect aid to our escape, and had remained within the camp as to not attract suspicion. The escape reminded me of all the times I had spent with my sister and father in our antics before I had even met Pam.

I thought back to when I held Nora's fragile body in my arms.

_Who's going to comfort me for centuries to come? _I had asked her.

_Pamela, and Willa. _She had simply stated, smiling. She had known I wouldn't be left alone.

_You will never be replaced… _And nothing would ever fill the hole of her loss.

I looked to Willa, young as she was, she had spirit in her that I knew I could rely on. She would require teaching but, she had more than proved her capability of thinking and doing things for herself. She had already shown courage in agreeing to the life I had given her. She knew how to handle herself. I looked back at my oldest child, nestling a fist into her mass of blonde waves.

Years of trust, loyalty, history, and emotion hit me like floodwater. _Pam._

_Let them walk beside you, they want to. Like I did. _Nora's words echoed in my mind.

"Pam," I spoke her name as gently as the way one might hold an infant.

"Eric," She whispered, a slight hint of a smile on her lips immediately understanding. I pulled Pam to me, inhaling the scent of her into my nostrils. This felt right. I couldn't afford to be angry at Pam for too long, I didn't know what was round the corner. Nora's death had proved that to me.

I pulled her softly by her hair to me, crushing her body to mine. I felt her arms snaked up my back to cup my shoulders.

"What did I tell you before, Pam?" I asked coyly. She leaned away from body and looked at me with confusion in her eyes.

"That I love you more when you're cold and heartless, of course." A smile appearing now on her face. She removed the bloody residue lingering around her eyes and I released her, placing a hand to her face affectionately. She laughed and looked at her feet. "But Pam, if you hurt Sookie again I will chain you into a silver coffin and ask Jessica to talk to you non-stop." I threatened. As much as I had felt distraught by what Pam had done, life was too short to be angry with my child, especially considering we were both immortal.

"Willa honey, why don't you go to ground for the day, and tomorrow night maybe I can enlighten you on the fine basics of being in this wonderfully fucked up family?" Pam smiled, having walked over to Willa and placed a hand on her shoulder. I approved of their getting to know each other, and Willa would do well under the guide of Pam. I appreciated Pam's gesture of getting the both of them out of my way for the next night also. The two of them left together as Pam flashed me a nod. I was angry at Pam, but I knew better than to isolate myself from my family again.

I planned to visit with Sookie in which I would need to convey the need to utterly and completely distance myself from her, for her own good. After all, only harm, pain and suffering would find her if she were to continue her contact with me.

I stepped down to the basement with apprehension. The lid of the coffin was just how I'd left it, open, with the beautiful blonde waitress inside it. It was like looking at an oyster holding a pearl.

She was breathing still, with a strong pulse. Her legs were curled up and her back was arched into a foetal position, which gave me some indication she'd moved since I left her side. And that she wasn't unconscious but just sleeping. Unlike some of the men who'd tasted her, I knew my limits. Goddamn Compton. I dreaded that she'd return to her home with a potential of his having risen to check on her tomorrow night. God forbid I bump into him. I swear to Godric, I'd kill that disgusting little underling.

"I will make this right to you, I promise. Goodnight Sookie." I spoke gently into her hair, kissing her forehead. My thumb brushed her lips and I closed the coffin lid down.

Upstairs, I'd written a note for her as I wasn't sure if she would even reply to a message, let alone pick up a call from me.

_Sookie,_

_I'm sure you'll wonder what happened to you last night. _

_If you'll allow me to talk to you then I shall look forward to seeing you tonight. If not I will understand._

_Eric._

I left it on the table top nearest the door, as I was sure that was where she'd head to first, without question.

The only thing left on my agenda was some spring cleaning, by which I meant putting my bar back into place.


	5. Chapter 5

**Can I just say a massive thank you for all your reviews and waiting very patiently! I've been back at uni stuck under a huge stack of work. I am still actively writing and working on another story alongside this one, so hopefully I'll have some new material up shortly!**

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Christ.

As if getting harassed and attacked wasn't last night wasn't good enough, I'd had to work the early shift, and Arlene had called me back to do extra hours. It wasn't like I needed it, if anything I was alright for money for once considering I still had Eric's ten thousand dollars sitting in my savings account. Recently though I'd had trouble saying no to Arlene. I ended up finishing that day at around 9pm, after taking on the lunch and dinner shift, and clearing up my side work late after helping the new girl that had been hired. In exchange for the long hours I'd done, Arlene had agreed that I take off the following Saturday, usually quite a heavy night. Although it meant losing some big tippers, I was glad that Arlene was running the bar as fairly as Sam had. None of the patrons had complained either, they seemed to have adjusted to Arlene's takeover of the place. And Arlene knew how often I had to change my shifts.

I pulled up outside my house at around 9.30, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Like all other occurrences vampire related that had caused me some trauma of a varying degree, the previous night's frivolities had been pushed aside as another goddammed normality in my life.

As tired as I was, I knew I had laundry to do. Mainly my uniform for work tomorrow. I bundled the greasy stale t-shirt and shorts I had on into a ball, and wandered through my house dumping my keys and purse down on the sofa. As I stepped into the back porch to the washer and dryer, I thought I saw something flash across the lawn outside. I decided it was no big deal and set my mind to the washing machine.

This town _had _to be done with all of it's strange supernatural activity. I put it down to Bill having resurfaced from the depths of his vast old house and creeping around my area of the woods again, or perhaps an animal or something. I wasn't afraid, I was still in possession of my father's shotgun left to me by Jason, paranoid of his little sister living by herself. He had every reason to be.

As it was such a warm night I'd decided to keep on just my bra and panties and slip on something light when I finally went upstairs. The washer had a smart little feature that let you eco wash your clothes in half an hour, which I figured was my second good deed of the day. (The first being working the extra hours for Arlene,) so I planned on making some coffee to keep me going. It was my house, something I was quite proud I could now say having received documentation only last week to say it was now finally, Sookie Adele Stackhouse's property. And as it was my house, I figured I could walk around in my underwear quite comfortably and make coffee if I wanted to.

I slipped onto my couch with my coffee, and started reading. After a while a thought had twigged.

Just before I'd woken this morning (and I had no trouble reminding myself that I'd arisen in a coffin at Fangtasia,) I'd been dreaming about something. Hmm. I hastily put the book down and sipped more coffee. I remembered part of a conversation…a man's voice. For some reason I thought of lipstick, and cellphones. I set my mug down and rubbed my face with my hands, setting them to rest my head up while I squeezed my eyes shut.

_Have you forgotten whose bed you're in?_

Oh no, I was starting to remember more. And I was getting increasingly uncomfortable sitting on the couch waiting for my clothes to finish in the washer. Oddly enough, I felt quite exposed thinking of my dream in just my underwear. I ran my hand over the pillow at my side, pulling it over my lap and opening my eyes again.

_Let's not be modest._

I felt cool breath on my neck as I recalled the contents of the dream. I shivered several times.

_What happened to my clothes?_

_Oh, they had to come off._

Right, that was it. I was going to pull my uniform out and shove it in the dryer ready for tomorrow. I needed to go to bed, put on some clothes, and get to bed quickly.

With my coffee not even halfway drank I stalked to the back porch briskly and bent over to reach out my clothes. As I was fumbling around for a lost sock at the back of the drum when I heard the door creak open. I snapped up rapidly to find the back door wide open.

I was not being intimidated in my own home.

I threw the damp wad down on top of the dryer and poked my head out of the open door.

"Hello?" I called out to the potential killer/animal/Bill that was in my yard. You couldn't be too careful when you lived alone at one end of a cemetery. Then again I had more than one vampire on call that could feel if I was in too much trouble. Which actually, I found quite annoying.

"Look, Bill, if it's you wandering about out there you could at least have the decency to appear…" I spoke into the darkness.

There was nothing. Only silence. Regardless of my indecent state I stepped out onto the grass and put my hands on my hips. I was tired of having to look over my shoulder each time I left my house. Plus, if someone out there was planning on killing me, I don't think me being in my bra and panties would really make much difference.

"Hello? Look I'm tired of this. If you're going to try and hurt me you'll sure be sorry." I said quite defiantly. I was tired, and I'd become quite restless and irritated recalling my not so sweet dreams. I walked a few paces to my left and craned my neck. Nothing. And then to my right, nothing.

"I would never dream of hurting something this beautiful." A voice said, from my porch.

Oh God.

Well I can tell you, my heart skipped a beat. Or three.

"E..Eric," I uttered, mouth hanging open. As annoyed and angry and sick of all this weird shit I had become quite unhinged.

"It would appear I missed the memo Sookie, I would have brought mine if I knew we were having a dress down day," He gestured at my clothes. Or lack of.

I flinched immediately, covering myself up with my hands and failing. I was sure I had gone a deep shade of red.

"Nothing I haven't seen before my sweet. Now, a shame as it would be to cover up this,…divine temple, I think there's a conversation we need to have." He said a little solemnly with his hands crossed in front of him, fingers interlinked. I could see a ring on his finger which I was sure I'd never seen before.

"Listen, Eric, you don't have to explain-" I had begun to ascend the stairs back into the porch but he cut me off and caught my arm.

My heart was pounding with anticipation. I hadn't expected Eric to put in an appearance especially not at my house. I didn't want the awkwardness of having this conversation he had in mind. I was happy burying my vampire dramas in a mental place I liked to call 'Reasons to not know vampires.'

"I will _always _owe you an explanation. You never have to fear dishonesty with me, Sookie." He said staring into my eyes. I could feel his cold hand flexed around my tiny wrist, one movement or jerk and he could break it into pieces. I glanced down to my wrist perplexed to know what he planned on doing next. He must've caught me looking.

"Sookie you never, ever have to fear me, _ever_." He continued. His head was bent down and his eyes lowered to mine, he took his free arm to place a hand on my face, and released my hand so his could join the other on my opposite cheek. As he held my face my body started jittering.

"I know," I swallowed feebly.

"You are cold." He stated.

"I..it's just uh…your hands are…"

"Perhaps Miss Stackhouse, you should wear more clothes when expecting ex lovers in your garden. Tell me, were you waiting for someone else to arrive, perhaps Bill? I heard you call his name." Eric practically spat out his name.

"No!" I exclaimed, pulling out of his grip on me. "No I was not. He's always walking around the cemetery at night that's all. And anyway you big liar if you heard that you should have spoke up sooner shouldn't you!" I spoke defiantly to him.

The blood rushed to my head as I raged. I don't know why I had worked myself up over this tiny accusation. Then it crashed into me like a wave. Hadn't we had this similar conversation in the dream?

"I came here to see you well. I see you are as feisty and stubborn than ever, I will take my leave." Eric begun.

I looked at him and an image of him lying charred and well, broken came to mind. He might not be here at all if I hadn't gone and given him my blood albeit more dramatic than necessary.

"Look. You don't have to leave okay? Give me five minutes." I asked with my hand on the back door ready to pull it to and lock it.

He nodded and flew upward. Which was quite unnecessary as he could have just walked the several of his long strides to reach my front porch, but I appreciated it anyway as it gave me a chance to get inside without his gaze all over my backside. The thought made me shiver.

I couldn't say for sure whether that was repulsion…or excitement.

I poked around in the dryer until I found a tank top and shorts, which I put on briskly. My head was reeling from the dream I had, the mirrored conversation I'd had with Eric, and I was remembering much more than I'd like. I clutched my head and leant on the dryer with my eyes closed for a while to stop the room slurring.

From what I could remember, I had dreamt that I'd woken up in his bed, naked and he'd been the one that put me there in exactly that state. He had become quite strange, almost reminiscent to himself while under the witch's spell. Amnesia Eric. He had said some filthy things to me and I'd tried to walk out.

Eric was right though, he'd only ever been honest with me. Unlike some people I knew. Considering recent events, I wondered why I'd ever turned Eric down. Maybe because he was a vampire, in nature conniving and crafty, and was a considerable amount more powerful. Then again, no one would have ever touched me if I'd ever declared myself his like I had with Bill…

Not that I'd ever wanted that, exactly.

I thought of all the times I'd spent in Eric's company, the majority of it while he was living under my floorboards. Roaming my woods, drinking my fairy godmother, frolicking around in the undergrowth, then back to my house, my shower, everything. I lurched forward and my stomach flipped over at the prospect of going out again to speak to the man that made me feel like that.

That feeling I'd gotten outside when I thought of him ogling me.

Pure lust.

Well the next conversation would be a very interesting one.


	6. Chapter 6

I found Eric's long frame stretched out across my porch swing with his hands folded behind his head. Under his leather jacket there was a white scoop neck t shirt which was revealing rather a large amount of chest, which I tried inadvertently to avoid staring at. His black jeans fitted snugly to his legs, at the end of which he had on very fancy black boots which hung far over the end of the seat.

All in all rather a nice view.

"You're looking good." I muttered and looked at the decking quickly to stop my face flaring up when I realised how Eric would receive this compliment. All things considered, he was a burnt mess last time I saw him.

"Mmhm." He said simply, swinging his legs down to make room for me to sit beside him. "If we're being honest I preferred your previous outfit." He spoke softly, seductively, yet seriously. Never a combination I could take easily from Eric because I knew he always meant what he said.

"You said you wanted to talk to me," I said trying to move the conversation away from me in my underwear.

"Yes, I did." He edged over slightly to me and faced inward to the swing, leaning along the top with one muscled arm.

"Okay," I said quietly coming to sit next to him. I folded my hands awkwardly in my lap and looked up at him. He was levelling his eyes with mine once more and I found it mesmerizing.

What I said before, about not being riled up by anyone and being intimidated in my own home, well none of that applies when you're faced with a 6ft plus thousand year old Viking vampire with whom you've made love with multiple times and you never forgot it but he did for a while. We had never spoken about that.

"Pam was wrong to lure you out as she did. She used you to get what she wanted, that is her way and always will be."

Regardless that Willa had rang me in the first place, I had guessed as much that Pam had ordered it.

"I am grateful for your willingness to heal me, Sookie." He said. "Listen and believe me when I say I am deeply upset with myself for allowing it to happen. And also at Pam for endangering your life unnecessarily, especially when past events close to this one in nature have been so,…traumatic."

"Well-"

"I could feel it, your need to give me your blood, you wanted to feed it to me." He said simply. "Your body has an aura around it of goodness, and love. It heightens around those you care about, that is one of the traits of the Fae." Eric continued. "Vampires can see this if they know how to look for it."

As distracting as his body was I was fed up of people knowing trade secrets about my own kind that I was supposed to know. Also I was still really, really pissed at Pam.

"So by some weird faery juju you weren't too worried when Pam ripped my neck open and threw me in there with you, all because you could see that I was well up for it, right?" I said sarcastically, shooting upward and backing away from him. I folded my arms angrily and turned away from him.

"No Sookie. I knew because we are blood bonded."

Well that certainly caught my attention.

"What?" I demanded, spinning around to face him again.

"You drank from me as I drank from you, simultaneously." He said from the swing, quite casually as if he were telling someone the weather. "When you took me in from the side of the road."

"I don't understand,…I've had other vampire's blood does that mean I'm bonded to them too?" I panicked. I didn't know the ins and outs of being 'blood bonded' with a vampire, but I knew it couldn't be good.

"The exchange must be mutual. The balance has to be neutral, it does not count to have one of the party to have given or received blood to heal, otherwise it works out of the system."

"So, that means…" I dropped my arms and propped them at my waist, fidgeting until I shoved them into my back pockets.

"I cannot say for sure if you are bonded to another." He said looking up at me again with his icy stare.

"How would you find out?" I asked gingerly. I didn't want to go down this route.

"Remembering. It is a process where the bloods almost mingle immediately within the other. Have you ever given and then received blood, or the other way around in close proximity to the other?"

"It's been…so long. I mean, there was Ben uhm, Warlow but he's dead." I turned away from Eric again and leant on the porch fence, forcing it all to try and make some sense. I would have been blood bonded to that psychopath if Jason hadn't taken him down with Niall's help. I could have been tied to him forever, if that's what it meant.

"I just don't get it Eric, what does this mean?" I enquired. Before I could get an answer Eric spoke again.

"I have missed much then. This may wait." Eric said, obviously processing the bit about Warlow being dead. "This is why I felt the blood leave…I thought it had worn off." Eric seemed as though he was talking to himself and looked a little unattached to reality when I turned around after getting no answer.

"Eric? Are you okay?" I took a few steps toward him tentatively, just in case.

He stood and placed his hand around my arms gently.

"I will return, there is something I must do. Farewell, Miss Stackhouse."

The air lingering between us contained so many sparks I couldn't even breathe.

"Oh and another thing, Sookie, I know how to stop." He whispered, before clicking down his fangs, and leaning into me.

"NO!" I screamed into his ear. I beat on his chest to push him away but then felt a softness at the skin where he had drawn my healing blood from the previous night. I knew what he was doing.

I relaxed into him and placed a hand on his back and another at the back of his head. I felt him lick and kiss my neck delicately, presumably spreading around the healing serum which was his blood to close my neck wounds.

"Eric," I breathed as he snaked a hand into my hair and kissed further up my neck and back down, reaching my collar bones. Oh my stars. This man knew how to turn a girl on. All the while his mouth was possessing my neck, his other hand had been gripping the back of my shorts by the belt loops and spreading his large hand over the small of my back, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

When he finally brought his mouth away from my neck, our gaze locked. Inches apart from each other and hands still clutching each other, I knew this moment wouldn't last.

"Please don't leave," I pleaded in a whisper, my eyes darting from his eyes to his lips.

"I will return to you," He promised and in a vampire flash he was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

I had to walk away from her.

It took every ounce of my being to stop at just kissing Sookie's delicate neck, instead of picking her up and making passionate love to her on every available surface inside her home until she forgot all about the horrors of the outside world, and us.

Of course, I would never be able to do that to her. Not for one second would I believe she would have me that easily, nor could I enter her home without her permission first. That didn't mean to say I wanted it any less. Sookie had, and always would be my weakness as Nora had made me aware. Having it spoken out loud and coming from my own sister made me realise just what a danger I was to Sookie.

She shone brighter than any other human, or entity I'd met and my presence in her life would only serve to slowly diminish that spark. Vampires and humans hardly mixed well but vampires and fae were the ultimate deathwish.

I had served one purpose tonight and that was to ensure myself that I hadn't killed her, of course I would have felt it if she had died. We were bonded much too closely for that to slip me by. I had also wanted to give her my apology.

I had received somewhat of a forgiveness as such, a brushing off of events as though it were the norm for her. This angered me and saddened me at the same time, but I knew that was Sookie's way. She was so accepting of some things and yet so guarded of others. I wanted to tell her I was not worthy of her forgiveness and that she should (if she was wise) never set foot near me again. Yet I'd managed to divulge to her the blood bond detail. Her knowledge of this only would cause to make her more irrational than normal and do me no favours. She was likely to never let it up and I'd never hear the end of it.

I'd let it slip, my guard had been down. That was something I prided myself on. Self respect, honour, and the ability to keep myself in check; to be what Godric taught me. A creature with immense power yet self control and the will to use it properly. Over the years I'd let myself slip when Godric had gone his own way to let me live my own life without his guidance, to make my own choices without him. Godric's death and now my sister's, the last thing I have to connect me to my maker, had knocked be indefinitely back in line. I couldn't afford to cause Sookie any more harm or be involved with her for fear of putting her in harm's way. Life was too short for mortals. My attraction to her stemmed from her ability to speak freely with no qualms about who she upset as long as she was standing up for someone, or herself. She hid no repulsion from me when we first met.

Of course, when she first met, she had been Compton's human. Not the Sookie I know now and love, would give my life for. I had only wanted her to piss Bill off, I had always enjoyed letting Bill know who was in charge.

One conversation with Sophie Anne had changed my outlook on her entirely. I had found out that she had put Compton in charge of procuring a certain blonde waitress that lived reclusively in sleepy Bon Temps, conveniently Bill's old home. She had chuckled menacingly like a child with a magnifying glass on an ant hill when she told me of Sookie's special nature. I had grown somewhat keen to keep Sookie near me or at least in my sights since the night she had stayed with Godric while he chose to burn. In her I saw something that never left me, even to this day. As soon as I'd learnt what Sophie Anne's intentions where with Sookie, i.e, drain every last drop of her essence and turn her to dust, I became more and more agitated. I knew it would upset Sookie to find out what her dear love had planned for her, and the moment came to break it to her when that bastard tried to encase me in cement. It wasn't that I wanted her to turn away from Bill and run to me. I'm a thousand years old and not foolish. I knew she would recoil from everything vampire.

It had truly been the worst thing to watch as she spoke the words that expelled Bill from her house.

It had unnerved something inside me. But I couldn't sit idly by and watch her life slip away from me and allow Bill turn her over to Sophie Anne, it would only be so long before the bitch queen came after Sookie herself and then we'd all be truly fucked.

Of course, now everything is different. There was no way in a million years that S.O.B had a chance with her, she had staked him for goodness sakes. Yes the bastard lived. But when she had driven part of the fencing through his chest I saw in her eyes the spark that could not let me die. Her eyes glistened with fear but also there was something that seemed to surpass the intensive history they had shared, I knew full well he had been her first in every way. It killed me to know the intimacies she had shared with him, the predator that he was.

But I had seen the same thing when she had eradicated the witch's spell the night I was about to kill him for good. She had sent shockwaves through me which enlightened every intimate moment we shared during the time I'd spent living with her. Every passionate caress and tender lovemaking session, every moment we'd spent in each other's arms. Everything I promised. And that was the beginning of the real blood bond we now shared.

That was the reason I knew I could walk away from her. I could sense her anywhere in the world, dead or alive, happy or sad. I could feel her every movement as if it was my own and this was the only way I could protect her without causing her danger.

I had to leave, or never leave her side again.

I closed my eyes and thought briefly of Pam, all I needed to summon her to me here in the woods.

* * *

**I just want to thank everyone for being so patient while I continue writing, it's great to still be receiving story followers and reviews!  
**

**I hope you all enjoy my next few installments as there won't be many left to finish of this fic!**

**x**


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